This application relates generally to electronic test equipment and more specifically to equipment for testing unpopulated printed circuit boards for manufacturing defects utilizing reliable single point current measurement.
During the manufacture and subsequent handling of printed circuit boards, defects such as unwanted open circuits or short circuits may develop in or between circuit pathways. Manufacturers continually look for faster, more accurate and more economical ways to find defects. It is necessary and cost effective to perform automated testing of unpopulated printed circuit boards for manufacturing quality control.
Testing of printed circuit boards is becoming increasingly difficult and more expensive as integrated circuits and printed circuit boards become more complex. Conventional techniques for automated printed circuit board testing involve applying signals through a set of test pins and measuring output signals on other test pins. A printed circuit board may be tested on a xe2x80x9cbed-of-nailsxe2x80x9d tester that (comprises pins contacting the metallic traces on the printed circuit board being tested so that selected input signals may be applied at various nodes on the printed circuit board, and corresponding output signals can be measured to other nodes on the printed circuit board.
Moving probes are used to test complex high density boards. Most of the moving probe testers utilize a limited number of probes, up to 16 independent probes at this time, to perform continuity and short tests. Like in the xe2x80x9cbed-of-nailsxe2x80x9d, the moving probes are pins, which contact the metallic traces on the printed circuit board being tested so that selected input signals may be applied at various nodes on the printed circuit board, and corresponding output signals can be measured to other nodes on the printed circuit board. The moving probe testers offer flexibility, low cost and fixtureless set up. The prime deficiency of the moving probe system is it""s slow test time. This deficiency restricts the use of this tester to prototype testing and the testing of very small production runs.
Moving grid testers are also used to test complex high density boards. The moving grid tester utilizes several small moving structures containing probes in close proximity. The objective of this configuration is to improve the test speed of the system over moving probe systems. The prime deficiencies of the moving grid system are its dependency on board configuration for test speed improvement and a lack of reliable single point measurement. These deficiencies severely negate any time improvement over the moving probe systems and moving grid testers are primarily used for prototype and small production runs testing.
Capacitive testing is offered as an option on moving probes and grid testers by measuring the discharge time or charge up time of electrically charged nets and net segments. The deficiency with this method is it limited resolution and comparatively long measurements time.
One printed circuit board testing method is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,218,294, issued Jun. 8, 1993 to Soiferman. The technique taught away from using a bed-of-nails tester. The patent disclosed stimulating a printed circuit board through the power and ground lines of the board with an AC signal and then contactlessly measuring the electromagnetic near field distribution proximate the board being tested. The electromagnetic xe2x80x9csignaturexe2x80x9d of the board being tested was compared to the electromagnetic signature of a known good circuit board to determine whether the board under test was defective.
One alternative printed circuit board testing method is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,042, issued Apr. 15, 1986 to Riemer. That patent disclosed a circuit board test system for measuring the electrical continuity and integrity of line segments. The system consists of a capacitance meter with a pair of sensory terminals, one of which is coupled to a conductive elastomeric backside reference plane and the other is coupled to a test probe. The test probe is a single shielded one-point probe. The sensors measure voltage levels and from the voltage drop between the sensors, the line segment capacitance is determined. The test probe sensor moves relative to the test board for sequentially contacting all of the test points on the printed circuit board.
A deficiency in the Riemer system is the dependence on the board layout, because the location of the test points must be determined prior to probing. Furthermore, it is critical for accurate measurements that the interface between the test board and reference plane be devoid of air gaps.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a device and method that will detect manufacturing faults on unpopulated printed circuit boards independent of board complexity or net segment size. There is a further requirement in the art to test any printed circuit board in an industry acceptable time. There is still a further need in the art for a system with no need for fixturing specific to the test board, and where the printed circuit board is tested independent of its structure and functionality.
The present invention provides solutions to a number of deficiencies in the prior art. It provides a flexible, accurate, and fast method for detecting manufacturing defects on unpopulated printed circuit boards under test (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cBUTxe2x80x9d) utilizing reliable single point current measurement. It eliminates the need for fixturing and up and down movement (Z axis movement) for testing the BUT. It makes it possible to eliminate the need to determine exact test point locations before testing.
The foregoing benefits and others are provided by a tester having, in a first set of preferred embodiments, an AC signal generator connected to a signal plate placed under the BUT for applying an electrical field and thereby generating signals in conductors of the BUT. A large array of pins, more then 128, mounted on an assembly on top of the BUT at fixed intervals, samples currents from the test points on the BUT.
In a second set of preferred embodiments, the AC signal generator is connected to the pin array, and the pins apply signals into the conductive elements of the BUT at fixed intervals. The signal plate detects the electrical field on the BUT.
A signal processing device, a central computer work station, and a test platform onto which the BUT is mounted are preferably part of the test system. The AC test signal source is connected to either the pin array or the signal plate (depending upon the embodiment) to provide signals to induce currents into the BUT. The control unit controls the movement of the pin array assembly (or xe2x80x9cPAAxe2x80x9d) relative to the BUT.
Each movement of the PAA relative to the BUT results in the sampling of multiple test points. A computer controls the whole system by commanding the movement control unit and the PAA selector unit, receiving the measured results and running off-line fault detection and BUT position definition procedures.
Each relative movement of the PAA produces measurements of multiple BUT test points. A complete test of the BUT test points produces a current measurement profile of the entire BUT. The detected signals are proportional to the size and geometry of the sampled conductors. Therefore, a measurement profile from a whole plane of the BUT can be processed to perceive the board""s test points. The signal processing extracts relevant features from the profile, which represent the characteristics of the test points. The fault detection system compares each test point""s measured characteristics to a known or identical, non-faulty test point on the BUT. The known test point""s characteristics can be obtained from a known reference. Such comparisons result in a measure of the difference between the reference and the BUT test points. Preferably, if the difference is larger than a predetermined threshold, the test point is diagnosed to be faulty. If the difference is smaller than the threshold, the test point is diagnosed to be non-faulty. Statistical analysis further results in more detailed information regarding faults found, such as locations, types, etc.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the pin array assembly (PAA) is connected to an AC signal generator, and injects a signal based upon the AC signal into the conductors on the BUT through the pins, preferably one pin at a time, as the PAA moves relative to the BUT. The signal plate detects the electromagnetic field from the BUT conductors.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the BUT is placed on top of a moving conveyor belt with the signal plate either imbedded in the conveyor belt or placed under the conveyor belt. The PAA is stationary. Again, the pin array assembly injects a signal and the signal plate detects the field from the BUT conductors.
According to another embodiment of the invention, The BUT is placed on top of a signal plate and the PAA moves over the BUT. The signal plate is connected to the AC signal generator, and the signal plate radiates an electromagnetic field based on the AC signal onto the BUT. The PAA is sampled one pin at a time to detect the currents from the BUT test points.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the BUT is placed on top of a moving conveyor belt with the signal plate either imbedded in the conveyor belt or placed under the conveyor belt. The PAA is stationary. Again, the signal plate radiates an electromagnetic field based on the AC signal onto the BUT. The PAA is sampled one pin at a time to detect the currents from the BUT test points.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the BUT is placed on top of the signal plate and the PAA moves over the BUT. Again the signal plate radiates an electromagnetic field based on the AC signal onto the BUT. Multiple pins of the PAA are simultaneously or sequentially sampled to detect the currents from the BUT test points.
In a first set of embodiments, an AC source provides a signal to the PAA pins, which in turn contact the conductive elements on the BUT. The conductive elements radiate an electromagnetic field that induces currents on the plate. The currents picked up by the plate electronics are a representation of the conductive elements"" size and geometry. High bandwidth amplifiers are used by the electronics to generate low impedance at the plate, to provide a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the ability to detect the electromagnetic field from the conductive elements on the BUT. Furthermore, a selector is used in conjunction with the high bandwidth amplifiers to improve performance of the design by reducing interference between channels.
In other embodiments, the AC source provides a test signal to the signal plate, which in turn radiates an electromagnetic field based on the test signal onto the BUT. The electromagnetic field induces currents on the BUT""s conducting traces. The pins of the array assembly contact the conductive traces to detect the currents from the BUT. The currents picked up by the pin array electronics are a representation of the conductive traces"" size and geometry. A high bandwidth amplifier is used by the electronics to generate low impedance at the pins to provide good isolation between adjacent array pins, a high SNR, and the ability to detect the currents from the traces on the BUT.
By scanning across the entire surface of the BUT, a signature of the BUT test points is obtained. Manufacturing faults can be detected with the aid of computer analysis. A fault recognition system compares the current patterns of the test points with known or desired patterns of an identical, non-faulty board. Such comparisons result in a measure of the difference between the non-faulty and faulty boards. If the difference is larger than a predetermined threshold the BUT is diagnosed to be faulty, or out of tolerance. If the difference is smaller than the threshold, the BUT is diagnosed to be non-faulty. Statistical analysis can further result in more detailed information of faults found, such as location, type, etc. The so-called xe2x80x9cknown patternxe2x80x9d of the non-faulty board can be obtained either by testing a non-faulty board in the same way as testing the BUT, or by theoretical calculation according to the design specifications. The design specifications are easily obtained from computer aided design tools that are used to create printed circuit board layouts.